- present participle of resound.
resounding
Americanadjective
-
making an echoing sound.
a resounding thud.
-
uttered loudly.
resounding speech.
-
impressively thorough or complete.
a resounding popular success.
adjective
-
clear and emphatic; unmistakable
a resounding vote of confidence
-
full of or characterized by resonance; reverberating
a resounding slap
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of resounding
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at resound, -ing 2
Explanation
Resounding describes something obvious or unambiguous. If it's clear that every single guest had a wonderful time, you can call your party a resounding success. Use this adjective to emphasize how great (or terrible) something is, like your best friend's resounding victory in the student council election, or the resounding disaster of your plan to carpet your bedroom using moss. It's also useful for describing a sound that echoes or reverberates: "The resounding slam of her bedroom door told me my sister was really angry." The Latin root means "echo."
Vocabulary lists containing resounding
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Much of the year’s high points are due to the Wegovy pill, which has been a resounding success.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Burnham, 56, arrived at Downing Street to resounding applause from supporters and acknowledged he was the country's seventh prime minister since the start of 2016.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
In a statement, lawyers for the former judges called Williams’s ruling “a resounding victory for the rule of law.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Ethan said his resounding memories of Caitlin will be those filled with laughter.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Jaime removed the cord from around her neck, held her upside down and dangled her in the air, and with two resounding slaps introduced her into the suffering of life and the mechanics of breathing.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
